Metabolic syndrome in a sample of Egyptian adolescent girls and its association with apolipoprotein E.

AIM: Obesity and its metabolic complications are increasing in childhood and extend to adulthood. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in a sample of Egyptian adolescent girls and investigate its association with apolipoprotein E. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used, including 200 Egyptian adolescent girls aged between 12 and 18 years. They were subjected to blood pressure (BP) measurement, anthropometric measurements (weight, height and waist circumference (WC)), laboratory investigations (fasting glucose and lipid profile) and molecular analysis (Apo E). RESULTS: Overweight/obese girls were suffering significantly, more than normal-weight girls, from hypertension (66.7 vs. 40.8%), diabetes diagnosed by elevated fasting blood glucose (46.7 vs. 31.2%) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (64 vs. 59.2%). Girls with MS had significantly higher values of body mass index Z-score, WC, BP, cholesterol and triglycerides and significantly lower HDL. Allele E3 (59.1 vs. 55.1%) was more frequent among girls with MS, while allele E4 (41 vs. 36.4) was more frequent among girls without MS. MS was the most prominent among girls with the E3/E4 genotype (35.7%), who had the highest frequency of elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and blood glucose, while girls with the E2/E4 genotype, which was rare among both groups, had the highest frequency of elevated BP (68.8%) and low HDL (71.4%). CONCLUSION: MS was significantly more prominent among overweight/obese adolescent girls with the E3/E4 genotype, who had the highest frequency of disturbed lipid profile and blood glucose.

Echocardiographic changes and growth retardation in a group of Egyptian children with rheumatic heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Advances in echocardiographic studies have identified a massive burden of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) which continues to be a major health hazard in most developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between cardiac affection as regards the presence of single or multiple valvular lesions, and their severity and the growth parameters in a group of Egyptian children with RHD. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study, that was conducted on 200 children with RHD and 400 age-matched healthy. All subjects were subjected to anthropometric measurement and echocardiographic evaluation of the different cardiac parameters. RESULTS: Isolated mitral incompetence (MI) was the most frequent type of valvular lesion in RHD (54.0%), followed by mixed MI and aortic incompetence (AI) (26.5%). Patients with RHD were more liable to be underweight and stunted compared to controls (P<0.05). Growth retardation was significantly noticed in patients with RHD in general (P<0.05), and particularly in patients mixed MI and AI in particular (P<0.05). Also a significant association was detected between growth retardation and the severity of the valvular lesion in the group of rheumatic heart patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Associations between growth retardation and RHD with its various patterns of valvular affection and severity were detected in the present study.